The Fall of Renais
by Guardian Arrow
Summary: What if the wound Seth recieved from Valter was more than just a scratch or gash? Can Seth and Eirika ride out the storm that is the fall of Renais? Oneshot. [SethxEirika]


**Title:** The Fall of Renais

**Rating:** PG or T

**Genre:** Romance/ Adventure

**Summary:** What if the wound Seth received from Valter was more than just a scratch or gash? Can Seth and Eirika ride out the storm that is the Fall of Renais? SethxEirika

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**Guardian Arrow:** I'm almost done with Creature Campaign but I decided to take a break and play the game over for the third time. The lines between Eirika and Seth in the Prologue: The Fall of Renais inspired me to write this fic.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Seth or Eirika, Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, or the beginning dialogue that is from the game. They belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

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**NOTE:** _The beginning dialogue is from the game's prologue word for word. When they stop and rest, my original dialogue then takes over. If you've played the game, you should be able to tell the game's dialogue from mine.

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**The Fall of Renais

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Eirika could feel the tension mount within her body. Her muscles grew tense, her eyesight and earring picked up, and her fear for her brother and father's life began to rise. They hadn't heard from Ephraim in days and the mighty soldiers of Grado were literally on their front door step. The castle of Renais which once held many celebrations and festivities grew dark and dangerous as metal clashed from within.

She could feel Seth's eyes upon her, roving over her tense form. Cautiously, he placed a gauntleted hand upon her thin shoulders and let his thumb trace a circle pattern soothingly into her clothes. Eirika smiled slightly up at her knight, grateful for his continuous companionship. She'd be lost without Seth…He was the world to her.

Maybe she could talk sense into her father.

"Father…"

"Eirika… Are you wearing the bracelet I gave you?"

Eirika's eyes clouded in confusion. Why would he ask about her bracelet at such a dire time?

"Yes, I have it right here."

Her father, King Fado, sighed. "Good." He turned to Seth on Eirika's right. "Seth."

The comforting hand left her shoulder and was replaced by the dank air of the castle. Seth stood crisply at attention, awaiting his orders nobly.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Take Eirika and head for Frelia. King Hayden is an honorable man. I trust he will keep you safe."

Seth nodded solemnly. "Understood. And what of your Majesty?"

Eirika looked deploringly at her father.

"Me?" he almost said jokingly. "I shall remain here. We have long held Grado among our dearest allies, yet now, they attack? I must know why."

Eirika could feel herself shaking as her father ran through a list of possibilities on how he could have erred Renais's friendship with Grado. _'Father…you are not to blame…'_

"Father, you can't stay! You mustn't!" the Princess cried and tears crept at the corners of her eyes. She could feel Seth's eyes on her again and his attention gave her courage. "If you remain behind, then so shall I!"

"Go now, Seth! Ride! Take her to safety!" King Fado cried to the silver knight, placing all his trust in the young general.

Seth nodded curtly, understanding his duty to protect the princess at all costs. Muttering a quick sorry to Princess Eirika, he grasped her hand and pulled her towards his bay mare. Seth helped her into the saddle with little struggle and soon swung up to sit behind the beautiful woman.

"Father!"

"Forgive me Your Highness."

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The events that just passed seemed to blur around Eirika. The tremors in her body seemed to have subsided as her back was pressing tightly into hard cold armor. She looked up timidly into the young man's face above her. Seth stared intently on the road ahead of them, his arms underneath her thin arms as he held tightly to the reins. She felt for the first time that day safe in his grasp, reveling in the warmth radiating from the tunic that poked out from underneath Seth's armor. Eirika could see that he was contemplating the next form of action and had already sent Franz off in a hurry to warn Frelia of Renais's fall and of the secret coming of its princess. Tired of the rubbing of the leather of the saddle against her legs, Eirika slid off Seth's horse the moment Franz disappeared amongst the brambles. She sighed heavily letting the pent up excitement from riding with Seth exit her body. Seth watched her carefully and their surroundings but soon stepped down from the saddle in preference to stand with Princess Eirika.

"Princess Eirika, we must – Quickly! Behind me!" the young general shouted and pulled her behind his armored form.

Eirika peaked out over Seth's pauldrons to view what looked like three large birds coming in for a landing. The one at point looked awfully big though.

"Wyverns, Princess. Please stay silent."

Wyverns they were indeed and Eirika couldn't help to let a shudder pass her lips as the enormous dragons landed, their vast scaly wings spread out and their talons stretched eagerly. The man sitting on the wyvern at point stepped off his wyvern and stared at her and Seth with a saucy smirk.

"You there, with the girl. Tell me," the man licked his lips almost hungrily. "Would that be the wayward Princess of Renais? Well…this must be my lucky day."

His eyes bored hungrily into Eirika's own. His eyes were shadowed and glinted with red. The man's limbs stretched to reveal an ugly looking pike which he pointed tauntingly at Seth. She felt her hands clasp Seth's cloak in reassurance.

"You're a dead man. The wench goes with me." The wyvern lord cried and swung the pike to emphasize.

Eirika heard an animal like growl echo through Seth's armor and knowing Seth since she was just little, knew that he was furious.

"Never." Seth said deadpanned as the man climbed onto his wyvern. The silver knight himself excused himself from Eirika in favor of climbing onto his own bay horse and clasping a steely looking sword angrily in his gauntlet.

"I am Valter, the Moonstone, Grado's finest general!" the man taunted, smirking hungrily at Seth. "And you're just a corpse who does not know he is dead."

Anger over took Seth as he slammed down his helm and charged at the ugly looking beast and its owner. His sword glittered ominously but swung wide enough for Valter to dodge the killing stroke. Eirika gasped in dismay and prayed that her knight would remain safe. Valter dodged quickly and pulled his wyvern around just in time to catch Seth recovering from his miss and steadying his charger. He closed in for the kill and his pike found its home embedded into Seth's armor right at his left shoulder. Seth's eyes dilated as he could feel the chill of the steel point seep into his flesh. He was alive…but barely.

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"Ahh…No!" Seth cried in dismay. The wound hurt…horribly.

Even though it gaped and bled, Seth had a more important duty to perform rather than paying attention to his wound. He steered his horse over to Princess Eirika and with his good arm, hoisted her up roughly into the saddle. He winced when the wound gaped open again but ignored it and spurred his charger away.

Valter watched them go with a smug expression. "Such terrible wounds, and still he hold to his duty?" a smirk appeared. "How entertaining… Fly away, fly away little man…try to outrun death. More time to savor the hunt…and the kill."

Leaving Valter in their dust, Seth kept going. He urged his horse around various sharp turns and bases of steep hills. Seth looked over his shoulder a couple of times to make sure Valter and his cretins weren't following them. Deeming that they lost Valter amidst the mountains, Seth eased Eirika as gently as he could with an injured shoulder to the ground.

"Princess Eirika! This way!" Seth cried, his horse growing unsteady beneath him. "I can see no more of Grado's men. If we've made it this far, we've surely earned a moment's rest." Seth unmounted and felt the wound gape and spill more blood. "Please forgive my grabbing you so…brusquely earlier."

A smile fell upon her lips as she could see Seth, in his subtleness, was thoroughly embarrassed for grabbing a woman so roughly. She shook her head lightly, her eyes dancing.

"Don't be foolish, Seth. If it weren't for you, I would never have made it out of the castle." Eirika said and clasped her hands upon her chest. "You are the reason I'm still alive. You have my gratitude."

She smiled wider as a small smile worked its way upon Seth's face but it quickly dissipated.

"And whoever that man was, he was clearly after me…" Eirika's eyebrows furrowed and she looked upset. "It's my fault that you received such a grave wound." She leaned over to him to look at his shoulder. "Allow me to treat it, I—"

"Your Highness, I can't allow an injury like this to be an obstacle. We have more important matters to attend to—"

In the midst of a hand gesture the rough fabric from his tunic rubbed against the gash. A hiss escaped his throat. "We must pre—press on to Fre-Frelia!"

Eirika stared suspiciously at him. Here he went again, making a little deal out of big one.

"We must fulfill His Majesty's wishes."

"…"

Clicking her tongue Eirika followed Seth as he backtracked. She finally reached him and raised a hesitant hand up to his shoulder. Seth fidgeted nervously as she let her hand rest casually upon his chest plate.

"If it punctured your armor it has to be more than "just an injury"." Eirika said lightly. "Please sit down Seth."

Eirika looked determined as she led Seth to a protruding rock. Seth remained silent and Eirika knew that he wasn't too happy that she wasn't following his advice. She ignored his silence and continued with her inspection. After Seth was seated Eirika maneuvered over to his side and began to fiddle with his armor straps.

"Princess I believe this is highly unnecessary—" Seth began but was cut off.

"Seth, it is necessary. Please relax." Eirika sighed as she unbuckled the straps. "Your safety and well-being means everything to me."

Seth eyed her. "Permission to speak freely."

"You don't have to ask Seth."

"Why?"

Eirika didn't even hear the simple question because she had just removed his chest plate and his shoulder plate. She took a sharp intake of breath at the sight of the gash. It was large and deep. Some blood still trailed from it but most had dried and crusted around the wound.

"How can you even function with this?" Eirika cried and looked fearfully into Seth's face. "Seth, this is more than an injury!"

She jumped to her feet and ran over to Seth's horse. Her hands searched for a canteen of water and in the pouch, some bandages. Once satisfied with a half full canteen and a couple of tattered bandages, Eirika raced back over to Seth who watched her with an odd expression. She poured some water on a bandage and pressed it lightly to Seth's wound. Eirika heard him hiss and felt the tension ripple in the muscles underneath her hand.

"I'm sorry…"

"No—no.." Seth shook his head, biting his lip. "Thank you Eirika."

She smiled up at him brightly as he called her name. Not Your Highness, not Princess…but simply Eirika.

"Anything for you Seth."

She clamped her mouth shut after the words slip out. So much for being subtle.

"What do you mean?" Seth said tersely. "And you never answered my question…Why? Why are you doing this?"

Eirika sighed deeply and cleaned up around his wound.

"Seth…"

"Yes?"

"I-I just don't want to see you hurt. When you're hurt…I'm hurt. I fear that every time you go into battle…you won't come out. Sometimes I wish you weren't a knight…that way your safety would be guaranteed." Eirika said softly. "But that would keep you from fulfilling your dream and talent."

Seth remained silent not knowing what to say back to the girl who obviously put a lot of thought into those statements. Eirika's blush remained on her cheeks as she gently wrapped the bandage about the upper part of his torso and shoulder. A smile wound up on her lips as she tied the little remaining bandage into a bow.

"There."

Seth raised a hesitant hand up to finger the bandage. It still hurt but it was better.

"Thank you Eirika." Seth said lightly, nodding at the Princess. "For the treatment and …" he paused slightly. "your touching sentiment."

Eirika pouted. "I hope you aren't saying that because you're my knight."

A soft laugh echoed in the crisp air. "No, no…" Seth chuckled waving a gauntleted hand up in his defense. "It's the truth."

Eirika pranced over to Seth and gave him a quick hug so not to hurt his shoulder. Seth squirmed uncomfortably but then got to his feet when she let go.

"Do you think Seth that when we restore Renais in the future we could—"

"Princess Eirika."

Seth, who was currently refitting his tunic top back on and armor, turned to the young princess who looked like a ripe tomato.

"Maybe…maybe Eirika. But for now I am your knight and this is the fall of Renais." Seth said lightly. "After this war, we possibly could remain together as more than compatriots."

Eirika nodded solemnly yet inwardly pleased with Seth's openness.

"I look forward to that time."

"As do I Eirika."

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"_The future, gentlemen, is the faith of our age: it is the torch of the past, the guiding star of the present."_

_Jean Jaques Ampere

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**Guardian Arrow:** I hope you liked this SethxEirika fic. It might have some Seth OOCness but…yeah well. I couldn't stand how in the game after Seth got hurt that Eirika was kinda self absorbed with herself and her family rather than worrying and tending to the man who just took a nice big blow for her! HELLO? EARTH TO PRINCESS EIRIKA? Anyway, those two belong together so Eirika had to feel something for her silver knight. So I _had_ to write this because of the awesomeness of the couple and the awesomeness of Seth! XP Hope you enjoyed it! Please review and no flaming!


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